Becoming the Darkness
by Sakaiya
Summary: After it all, instead of returning to the light Sora and Riku stay in the darkness. (Based on the end of KH2.)
1. Chapter 1

IMPORTANT NOTE: A friend, intheyasha, and I are sorta co-writing this. Kinda. Almost like an rp. Anyway, I write a certain amount and then send it to her and then she writes the amount she feels is right and send it back and we decided to post it because... we felt like it. However, the fact that its being written by two different people with two different styles without editing means the flow... probably won't be the greatest. All the odd chapters will be written by me and the evens by her. We'll try to not make the change too jarring but i figured teh warning would still be a good thing lol. It also means that we don't know whats coming next any more than you guys (cuz of course we post as we write lol). This is only posted on my account cuz I wrote the first bit, but go check out intheyasha shes pretty darn awesome and onto the story.

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For all appearances, everything was over. Done. They had fought the good fight, and they _won_. Sora thought… He always thought everything would go back not normal. Riku, Kairi, and him, playing on the island like they used to. It wouldn't be _exactly_ the same. It couldn't. While they were gone, Kairi grew up and they did too, but Sora always believed they'd find a new normal.

He never really considered not being _able_ to go back.

Maybe it was childish, and stupid of him, but Sora had never not been able to. The doors had always presented themselves- sometimes with instructions and sometimes without. All he had to do was walk through. This time there was no door. There was no choice. No enemy to go back and fight, nothing to unlock or lock, nothing to find. Still, Sora had wanted to try. He had never been happy just leaving things as they were. Not when there where things he could improve on, get better at. Riku had always been the best, and Sora always strove to challenge that, to _beat_ that. Riku was the calm patient one who waited.

"If this is what the world truly is…" The soft words caught Sora off guard, catching his attention. Riku was always random like this. He could be silent for hours or more talkative than Selphie on sugar. "… just this… maybe I should fade back into darkness." It was the last thing Sora wanted. All this time… as much as he looked for Kairi, he looked for Riku. Perhaps even moreso. Riku became lost easily and Sora hated that he never seemed to need Sora the way Sora needed him.

Sora _needed_ Riku to come with him. This ocean, it wasn't endless. The rocky edges of the beach- something had to be beyond them. There maybe have been nothing left to fight, and this may have been the end, but it wasn't the _end_ and some vital part of Sora could sense that.

It would be the _end_ if Riku wasn't with him though. Now that he had him back… now that he was here and close enough to touch, Sora couldn't lose him again. He hadn't been strong enough to grab Riku's hand back on Destiny Island. He wasn't that weak anymore and he wouldn't let Riku go again. "Riku…" Sora started, trying, hopeless to find the words that would stop Riku from giving up and going back to the darkness. Sora didn't know how to follow him there. Riku had adjusted himself to the dark, saturated himself in it. Sora had done the same with light, let it fill every part of his being, swelling his heart and pouring into his very soul. Xemnas had been right that light and dark needed each other. Sora supposed it was part of why he needed Riku.

Riku sat up, slowly, rising to his knees instead of all fours. Sora watched him, all too cautious of Riku's injury. Riku hated appearing weak and if Sora wasn't quick enough, Riku would be face first in the sand again without a sound. He spoke, breaking Sora's faltering thoughts, interrupting the words Sora had yet to formulate. "If the world is made of light and darkness, we'll be the darkness."

It was both a decision and a question. Riku rarely asked questions. Sora always guessed it was part of that thing Riku had against weakness. For someone who knew Riku well, though, the questions were glaring. Could Sora stand to stay here? To give up everything he fought so hard to go back to? Could he truly stand the darkness and all the shades of gray within it? Did Riku, _his_ darkness, mean more to him than the light did?

The answer didn't come instantaneously. Sora had _dreamed_ about going back. He had _craved_ it. But… it, it wouldn't be the same without Riku. Without Riku racing him, fighting him, relaxing in the paopu tree listening to every word Sora babbled. The thought of going back without Riku… it brought the feeling of the _end_ so strongly that Sora knew he couldn't bare thought. The words to convince Riku to come with him wouldn't come, and maybe… maybe he had be doing it wrong. Even in the beginning, he grabbed Riku's hand fully intending to pull him back. He had never followed Riku, just to follow. He could try it. He could leave everything for Riku. It would make Riku everything, but Sora guessed that he had been anyway. This would just… deepen that.

Sora sat back, looking over the unending ocean. "Yeah…" He agreed. They could be the darkness as long as he was Riku's light. "The realm of light is safe now. Kairi, the King, and the others are there." He said it for himself- a reminder that the desire to go back was just that, desire. They weren't _needed_, they didn't have to be there anymore. Besides, it was calm here, with just Riku.

"That's what I mean." Riku told him, and Sora could tell he meant more than the fact that the realm of light was safe. Sora supposed he meant the calm. With just the two of them. "Hey, Sora, can you help me down? I want to get to the water."

The request was surprising, considering that it was _Riku_ asking for help. Then again, Sora helped him walk here, so he guessed he shouldn't be surprised. He didn't think twice before pulling Riku up- there was no way he would have said no.

"Atleast the waves sound the same." Riku said and Sora realized that maybe… Riku wanted to go back too. Part of him wanted what Sora wanted but perhaps he didn't know _how_ to go back anymore. Riku was right, the waves did sound the same. Sora pushed the thought out of his mind. If he thought too hard, he'd look for a way back regardless and doing so might cause him Riku. He continued to the water without saying anything, without pausing. Acknowledging it… it only made the pang of what he agreed to lose that much stronger.

They sat there on the edge of the beach quietly. The shared revelations, shared thoughts of jealousies of each other… Sora could feel the trust between them opening again. It wasn't as though their bond had closed, just become muddled as their paths strayed from each other. The sky was pure darkness, not even a star above. In its own way, it was beautiful in Sora's mind. He had never gotten a chance to see the sky without the stars and it was compelling, enchanting, almost calling you within it's depth. Closing his eyes, he felt the breeze and suddenly he was _home_. He didn't need Destiny Islands. This strip of beach with its fine gray sand, the familiar scent of salt water, the moisture in the air- it was more than enough.

"Sora," Riku interrupted his thoughts, handing him a paper that came from nowhere. "I think this is for you."

The letter… it was more than proof that they could go home. More than a reminder that someone was waiting for him. It was a reminder that the end, still wasn't the end and that maybe, things weren't so final after all.

A door, brilliant and blinding in it's light, opened in the realm of darkness. As if Sora's realization was all that destiny was waiting for. The door had appeared before him and all he had to do was walk through it. He'd be home again.

"Light." Riku.

"The door to light…" Sora confirmed. He jumped up, holding a hand out, "We'll go together" at the tip of his tongue when he glanced over at Riku. Riku had looked over at him, the quick motion having caught his attention. His face… the only way Sora could describe it was guarded- as if he knew what Sora would say and was trying to protect himself from it. It made Sora look deeper, closer. Riku couldn't be without him anymore than he could be without Riku. He would come if Sora asked, but he wasn't _ready_. Already the light weakened him, _scared_ him. He didn't really know how to be there anymore. "Riku…" The word was a sigh and Sora wasn't sure if it was a statement or a question but he knew Riku would know.

"I'm not the same Riku anymore." It was true. Sora was the same Sora either. What would it be like going back? What would their parents say? They would ask questions about where they had been- what would they answer? What about Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka? Destiny Islands had moved on without them- was it right to insert themselves in a world that no longer truly had a place for them. The thought scared him. For the first time, Sora was scared to go home.

_We'll become the darkness_.

Riku's words from earlier rang in his ears. Maybe it was cowardly but if they did, they wouldn't have to go back. They knew where they belonged- with each other. Besides, the darkness that threatened the realm came from here. Left alone… it could become tainted again and threaten the light. Besides, Sora had _promised_. He had agreed already. Would he go back on his word to Riku again? He was the reason Riku had been forced into the dark and he already had broken a promise to always be with Riku once.

"Let's go Riku." His voice was more forceful than he meant, the strength of his conviction making him tense rather than relaxing him. As if he didn't do it now he'd lose his nerve. Riku's eyes widened. He had probably expected Sora to want to go back. His mouth opened, perhaps to convince Sora otherwise. He rethought his words though, closed his mouth and placed a hand in Sora's.

They turned their backs to the door to the light, heading back towards the rocks and the barely visible plains of darkness. The glimmer of light faded as the door began to close. Turning away, Sora closed his eyes, praying that he hadn't made a mistake. Praying for the door to stay so that he could go back if he chose. Praying that the door dissolved so that he couldn't change his mind and break another promise to Riku.

Riku squeezed his shoulder lightly. It was as if he understood.

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And end of part one. So review, let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

So this is the first chapter by intheyasha. I hope you guys enjoy it!

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The darkness comes with a variety of setbacks. The one highlight that comes with the light is that it tries to be your friend.

But no one ever gets use to the darkness.

Sora kept his promise, but what exactly changed? Sora and I currently reside in a world where it was always night time. The streets were always busy and no one ever seems to rest. Life seemed to go back to normal? Maybe not. It was like Destiny Island after all.

After everything that had happened, things definitely died down after Sora accepted the darkness and decided to walk with me. Before we knew it, we landed here. This town was definitely filled with a lot of creatures. Some were friendly, others were not so friendly. You could see the street lights come through the window of our apartment and hear the cars riding throughout the city.

Sora sighed as he munched on a piece of bagel. "Riku, how much longer do we have to be here?"

"You know I don't have an answer to that Sora."

Sora sighed dramatically, "I hate this place Riku."

I glared at Sora for a moment, "And you think I don't? This is a part of the ride Sora. There's not much I can do right now, especially since we're limited on a lot of thing."

Sora looked down at the table and responded, "I know…"

The living areas in this part of the city were very small and compact. Sora and I lived in a one bedroom apartment. The bedroom was big enough for the bed to fit in, and there was one area that served as the kitchen, dining, and living room. It wasn't the best place in the world but it was better to live here rather than in the streets. Riku has been slowly building a ship into order to get Sora and him out of their but it was taking forever… just like the raft back at Destiny Island. But this world was nothing like Destiny Island. It was the exact opposite of Destiny Island. Dark, sadistic, shady individuals, no happiness none what so ever. Is this really what the darkness entails? Riku knew he was ready for it, but sometimes he wondered about Sora. Even though having him here is fanatic, Sora doesn't honestly deserve to be in such a place like this. Sora deserved better, and the darkness isn't something he should be-

"You still have those nightmares?"

I looked up at Sora and saw him browsing through a newspaper. "Nightmares?"

"Yeah, the nightmares you use to have every night when we first got here."

"Oh…" I still have those nightmares every night. "Not as often."

"Riku… you know I care about you right?"

I smiled as I saw the worried blue eyes staring at me. "Yeah, I know. Come on, let's go to bed. It's almost midnight." I got up to double lock the door and to secure a chair behind it. I turned around and watch Sora close the windows and closed the blinds. I went into the bedroom and closed and locked the door behind me once Sora was in the room. I laid down in bed and wrapped my arms around Sora as he laid his head against my chest. I opened the lid on my wrist watch and saw that it was 11:58pm. I closed the lid and sighed softly.

"Riku, this place isn't so bad after all after thinking about it."

I moved a little so I could get even more comfortable and saw the lights from the streets emitting through the closed curtains on our window. "Why do you say that?"

"Because at least I get to be with you every night."

I smiled at Sora's optimism. "That's true. Let's try to get some sleep alright?" Sora snuggled closer in order to fall asleep. At exactly 12, everything outside went dark. Everything fell silent as I heard the soft breathing from the sleeping Sora in my arms. I pulled him into a tighter embrace as I felt scared in the darkness.

This place is nothing like Destiny Island.

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Please review! its nice to hear thoughts about each part (especially since different people wrote them lol)


	3. Chapter 3

Sakaiya here again, so this is my next little piece of this tale.

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It had been over a month since they turned their backs on the door. Over three weeks since the nightmares started. Riku never said what they were about, but Sora knew they were bad. Riku still thrashed in his sleep- sometimes hard enough to wake Sora. Even when he didn't, the brunet could tell. Riku was always different after a nightmare. Jumpy, almost, like he was seeing things Sora couldn't.

Sometimes his presence helped- Riku would calm some at his touch. Others, it was as if he made it worse; as if Riku knew it was him and was _rejecting_ him. Sora never really knew what to do those times but keep his distance and pray that would make it better.

Sora sighed, adjusting the bags in his arms. Food was his responsibility while Riku tried to find the best way out of the town.

It surprised him at first, how easy getting food in this town was. Sora didn't know what he had thought life would be like on this side, but he hadn't expected this. The darkness, which seem to bleed colour out was expected but not the… normality. People shopped and went about their daily lives. Before midnight, the little town they found could be quite busy. It was… too normal. Eerie. Sora had always assumed that the dark and light were opposites and whereas the light was bright and lively and warm, the dark was cold and dead. Sora shook his head. Riku was probably back, and here Sora was lollygagging.

The door to the apartment was unlocked when Sora got there. Riku lay on the couch napping. Sora could understand- his sleeping habits had been ruined by his nightmares. Sora didn't disturb him, instead going to the kitchen to cook. Riku had tossed and turned most of the night and Sora knew better than anyone else how much he needed the rest he needed.

Putting away the food was a tedious, but necessary chore which Sora did absentmindedly. Cooking, however, was an all-consuming task for him; his love of food driving him to get the best taste possible. Risking the occasional glance at his sleeping partner, Sora threw himself into the activity. They weren't going to leave here any time soon. Sora knew that; so he should get used to it. Atleast he had Riku with him.

He ignored that small voice that said that if it weren't for Riku he'd be on the other side, in the light, at _home with everyone_. Sora chose this. He chose Riku, his promise to Riku. He would not blame him for disliking the result.

The smell of spices and warming bread filled the apartment and Sora sighed, almost regretting that he would have to wake Riku. Still, his stomach rumbled reminding him that their last meal had been quite some time ago.

"Ri-" Sora turned, heading over to wake his companion. Riku, however, was gone.

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I hadn't meant for it to be so short and I promise my next part will be longer but... it just kinda... ended there?


	4. Chapter 4

Intheyasha has finally written the next part!

intheyasha- Okay this is long overdue quite frankly. But here it is.

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Chapter 4

Riku ran down the dark alleyway, looking behind him to see if anyone was following him. He knew he was dreaming. The same thing happens again and again. He runs down the various alleyways and he would end up at a fountain. He walked around the corner and saw the fountain he saw many times during his nightmare. He heard the loud running footsteps as he can he a group of people nearing him. He wasn't sure who they were or why they always were chasing after him in his nightmare. He never understood any of this. He looked around and noticed the shadows were getting closer. He closed his eyes wanting to wake up. This is where he usually wake up. Riku opened his eyes realizing that he wasn't waking up this time around. He turned around to look at the fountain. It was tall and the moonlight reflected off of the stone. The area around him was getting darker from the shadows around him.

They are coming.

He ran up to the fountain and dived into the water. Once inside of the water, he felt like he was slowly falling from the sky. Riku closed his eyes relishing in the cool atmosphere around him. He hasn't felt this relaxed in a while. Ever since he and Sora came to this new world, Riku was never able to breathe and relax. He always had things to worry about, nightmares at night, and very little sleep. Everything was tensed all of the time. But now, he could relax. He could breathe. Maybe this isn't a nightmare. Maybe it wasn't a nightmare at all.

Then all of a sudden, his lungs was filled with water, and Riku pulled himself out of the water. Riku coughed and gagged off of the water that choked on. His clothing and hair was drenched in water. He wasn't in the fountain anymore. As a matter of fact, he was in a whole different place it seemed. He heard a chuckle and turned around.

"Welcome back to the darkside Riku."

Riku looked at the man before him. He stood around Riku's height but a little taller. He wore a long trench coat that resembled something similar to the Organization XIII's attire, but instead of a hood, his trench coat had a really tall collar. His black hair was short cut, and he wore glasses that had thick frames. He had his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. His face had a marking that resembled the statue that was in the fountain Riku jumped into.

Riku looked at the man confusedly. "Have... have you been haunting me in my sleep?"

"No- well yes. But you wouldn't have been going through an entire months' worth of nightmares if you jumped in the water fountain in the very first nightmare."

"Who are you?"

The man smiled. "I'm the one that's going to properly teach you about the darkside."

"W-where's Sora?" Riku got up from the water to look around but all of a sudden he felt very nauseous and the room started to spin. Riku fell back in the water, unable to pick himself up.

"Easy there, rookie. This is just the beginning. First rule of the darkness, you shouldn't worry about Sora."

"What… I don't understand."

"Hey." One second, the guy was standing next to the body of water. The next second, he was standing next to Riku lifting the boy out of the water. "I said, you shouldn't worry about Sora. He will only be your weakness. You'll never be able to harness the darkness fully worrying about that kid."

Riku twisted his arm out of the guys grasp and glared at him. "That kid, is my friend. Besides, I'm done with the darkness. I'm just trying to start a new life."

"Tsk tsk." The man waved his finger at Riku. "Last time I remembered, you were the one who chose the darkness and Sora followed. By choosing the darkness without fulling harnessing it is a mistake a baby will only do. You and I both know that you're not stupid Riku."

"I don't care. I don't want to cause any more trouble. Take me back to Sora right now. To hell with the darkness. Don't mess with me because I'm not in a patient mood right now. I don't even know your name."

"My name is Celsius."

"I don't care what your name is! Just take me back to Sora and leave me alone."

"Don't you want to protect him?"

"Protect him?"

"You're in a world of darkness Riku. There are greater powers here than you and I combined together. How can you protect Sora when you're not strong enough to take yourself back to him? You have to rely on me to take you back to him. What if you were stranded somewhere else? What if you were stuck fighting for your life while Sora back home is dying in the process? You wouldn't be able to do anything because you didn't accept the responsibility you decided to selfishly dump on yourself and Sora."

Riku opened his mouth to say something but he was rendered speechless for a moment. "Then why the hell are you helping me? And why should I accept your help? What if you're lying to me?"

"The only answers you have is to trust me because you're not going anywhere else anytime soon if I leave you here stranded. Then you won't be able to see Sora at all. Come back down to reality Riku. Sora is a wide open target here in this world. He is the only light in a world of darkness. Some darkness is attracted to the light and most are appalled by it. Those are the ones you have to fear the most. Once Sora leaves that confined apartment the two of you have, he will be an open target for anyone to snatch and do whatever the hell they desire to him."

Then the harsh reality finally dawned on Riku. "…What?"

"Do you want my help you not?"

Riku looked around his surroundings and only found an opening and darkness. "I need to get back to Sora now. I-I don't want anything to- Why the hell do I feel so weak?"

"We're in a pool of darkness. You're not use to a large amount of it, so naturally your body isn't accustomed to it yet. Now follow me before we waste anymore time." Celsius started to walk out of the water. Riku cursed at himself and followed Celsius.

It was the only choice he had.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Well, I'm horrible. I had this written some time ago just forgot to upload it. Intheyasha is working on the next part of this and I'm back off to Yugioh for now with more work on Stolen Hearts universe. til then enjoy this part! Sorry its so short. My next part will be longer...

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Sora really didn't know how it happened. What to do. Riku had been _right there_, not half an hour ago. He had been sleeping on the couch! Where could he have possibly gone without a sound? It was like Destiny Islands all over again, his best friend vanishing in front of his eyes no matter how he tried to stop it. At least on the islands he saw it coming. He had had the chance to try to pull Riku back.

Sora dropped down on the couch, still warm from where Riku had lain. … _still warm_. It meant that Riku couldn't have been gone long. It wasn't an illusion or a spell that Sora had come home to. Riku had definitely been here. He couldn't have gone far. It meant that Sora could still find him.

Suddenly inspired, Sora ran into the bedroom. Riku had convinced him that it was the light from the keyblade that made Sora so noticeable everywhere he went. Despite that, Sora could not risk being far from it. So he hid it somewhere he thought would be safe- here where he and Riku could protect it. Where it would be in reach if he should need it.

Sora ripped the loose floorboards up carelessly. There was nothing. No key blade, no key chains, just empty space and dust. He gaped at the floor, surprised. _Where was it?_ Riku wouldn't have moved it- not without telling him. That meant something else had. Something that probably had Riku too.

Taking a deep breath, Sora steadied himself. Panicking wouldn't help. It never did. Besides, what would Riku say when Sora got him back? He didn't need any more reasons to tease him. So he wouldn't panic. Instead he'd calm down and… and what?

He could do what he always did. He had never had steady plans before, so why should he now? The plan before had always been find Riku, find Kairi, get back home. He could do the same thing now. It all worked out in the end.

Sora glanced around the apartment, wondering if he should take anything with him. It was a bit strange- having a chance to prepare himself. Before he was always thrown into the situations with nothing. The closest thing he had to preparing was when they were building the raft. If there was one thing he learned from all this… He would need munny. Every world he had gone to used munny some how, this one was no different.

He grabbed the small pouch of money he and Riku had saved up. Everything else could stay. He would be back, with Riku.

"Okay… here we go." Closing the door, Sora let his feet guide him. They hadn't lead him wrong before. He hoped they wouldn't do so this time.


End file.
